Bail support for carpet sweepers



22s 1949. R, s. WAGNER 2,464,910

BAIL SUPPORT FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Filed March 2a; .1946

INVENTOR. v Roar/e2' 15: MaGW/sz A TTG/@NEM Patented Mar. 22 1949 BAIL SUPPORT FOR CARPET SWEEPERS Robert S. Wagner, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to E. R. Wagner Manufacturing Company, Mil- Waukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application March 28, 194.6, Serial No. 657,856

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in carpet sweepers and particularly to supports for handle bails. There are two purposes of a support for a bail. It holds the bail and handle in an upright position when the carpet sweeper is not in use. When the sweeper is operated, the support engages the bail and exerts a stabilizing action preventing the end of the sweeper from rocking upwardly at the end of a forward stroke or during the return stroke. Because of this the bail and support are subject to excessive wear and in the constructions heretofore used either the legs of the bail were worn and substantially cut through, or the protuberances struck from the end brackets which constituted the supports were worn ofi, or both such conditions occurred materially shortening the efficient life of the sweeper.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, to provide support for a bail which will be eiiicient throughout the useful life of the sweeper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support for a bail which is simple in construction and is easily and inexpensively manufactured.

'These objects are obtained by making the support from a iiat rectangularly shaped piece of phosphor bronze curved longitudinally and provided intermediate its ends with two spaced Wave-like humps. The support is positioned with its ends held between the end of the casing and the end bracket and the humps protruding outwardly through an opening in the end bracket. The curved surfaces of the humps engage the inner surfaces of the bail legs as the bail and handle are moved from sweeping to vertical position relative to the case. During such relative movements there is some give in the support and some spreading apart of the bail legs to permit the legs to ride up and over the humps. However, due to the size of the contacting surfaces of the humps and bail legs and the fact that the legs are steel and the support is phosphor bronze, any harmful wear is eliminated and the efficient life of the bail and support is as great as that of the sweeper.

The novel features, which are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 .is an end view in side elevation of a carpet sweeper embodying the invention with the end bell broken away for the sake of clarity in illustration;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the support for the bail and bracket plate; and

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the meandering section line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings by reference numerals, the support for the bail is shown incorporated in a carpet sweeper having a casing Ic provided with the usual Wooden end walls I I and metal cover I2. The cover I2 is formed with flanges I3 which overlap the marginal sides of the walls I I. A bracket plate I4 screwed to the end wall II provides support for the wheels I5 and the bail I8. As is customary, the plate I4 has a brushreceiving recess I6 which accommodates the shaft of the brush 28. The brush 28 is of standard construction and is carried by the carpet sweeper in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. A handle ll is detachably carried by a bail I8. The bail IB has vertical legs i9, the lower ends of which are inturned to form bearing axles 20.

The bracket I4 is provided with an opening constituting a bearing 2| for the axles 20. This opening may be made by piercing and leaving a surrounding flange to increase the bearing area. The area around the upper three-quarters of the bearing 2| is raised above the surface of plate I4 as indicated at 22 to provide a bearing surface against which the legs I 9 laterally press. This raised area also provides a recess on the inner side of the plate I4 which receives therein the legs 26 of the support 24. There is an opening 23 in this area which permits the humps 2l of the support 24 to project laterally from the plate I4 as is shown in Figure 3.

The support 24 is preferably formed from a at sheet or ribbon of phosphor bronze designated commercially as Grade A. It is curved longitudinally so that its sides lie substantially on the arcs of concentric circles. It has a iiat center portion 25 and two flat extending legs 28. Intermediate the center portion 25 and each leg 26 is formed a wave-like hump 2l. The distance of the tops of these humps 21 from the surface of the center 25 and legs 26 is suicient to project through the slot 23 beyond the surface of area 22 and protrude into the path of travel of the legs I9. The longitudinal axis of the humps 21 lie substantially parallel to radii passing through the center of the bearing 2 I. This provides them with curved surfaces which engage the inner surface of the legs I9 over a substantial area to proits upward movement its leg I9 will ride over the first hump 21 and it will thereafter be engaged by` both humps 21 and retained inverticalposition.. In passing over a hump there will probably be some give in the support 24 as well as a spreading apart of the legs. However, the spring action on the part of the support 24 is not necessary as there is plenty of spring action inthe bail itself.

It is preferable and economical that the bail I8 be formed of what is commonly known as cold rolled steel. It has been found that the sliding engagement between thebail legs I9 and the holder 24 will not Wear away the inner surface of the legs- I9 or appreciably wear away the tops of the humps 21. In some instances after severe use there may be found on the inside of the leg r I9 a small film or deposit of the bronze from support 24.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown and described herein, it will be understood that this application is intended to cover such changes or modications as come within the spirit of the invention or scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a carpet sweeper, a casing having an end, a bracket plate carried on said end, a bail pivotally mounted to said bracket, a bail support having portions engaged between said end and said plate, and a wave-like hump in said support between said portions projecting laterally through said plate with its convex portion engageable with the leg of said bail in selected positions thereof.

2. In a carpet sweeper, a bracket plate having an aperture, a raised portion adjacent said aperture, a slot in said raised portion, a bail having a leg in sliding engagement with said raised portion and an inturned end-pivotally mounted in said aperture, and a bail support having a pair of spaced wave-like humps projecting through said slot into the path of travel of said leg, said support having portions loosely engaging the under-surface of said plate to maintain said support in position.

3. In a carpet sweeper, a casing having a metal cover with down-turned flanges at its ends, a. bracket plate carried by said casing and overlying a portion of said flanges, said plate having a recess in its inner surface, an opening adjacent said recess, a bail pivotally carried by said plate and having a portion movable over said opening, and a support for holding saidibail in selected position, said support having a wave-like hump projecting through said opening into the path of travel of said portion and a holding leg positioned in said recess and held therein by said ange.

4. In a carpet sweeper, a. casing having an end wall, a bracket plate having an aperture constituting a bearing for the axle of a bail, there being a curved opening in said plate partially surrounding and closely adjacent said aperture. said opening being adapted to receive the raised portions of a bail support, a bail support comprising a flat piece of metal having a curved bottom edge fitting. around said bearing, there being formed fromsaid support between the flat parts thereof and adjacent said bottom edge a pair of raised portions, said-raised portions being curved to conform with and projectthrough said curved opening, said portions being centrally separated by a lower portion to form opposed surfaces for gripping the leg of a bail in vertical position, said bail support havingits at portions placed between said plate and said end wall to maintain said raised portions inprojecting rela., tionship through said curved opening and in the path of travel of a bail leg, and a bail having an axle pivoted in said bearing and avleg movable over the surface of said plate in engagement with said projecting raised portions.

ROBERT S. WAGNER.,

REFERENCES CITED.

The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 246,493 Gates Aug. 30, 1881 1,169,526 Boyer Jan. 25, 1916 1,686,934 Serva Oct. 9, 1928 1,937,590 Pullen Dec. 5, 1933 2,228,528 Miller Jan. 14, 1941 FORELGN PATENTS Number Country Date 113,857 Australia -,Sept. 11 19411 

